Some of Europe’s and the world’s most spectacular birds including Greater Flamingo, White Stork, Black-shouldered Kite, Purple
Swamphen, Great and Little Bustards, Audouin's Gull and Iberian Azure-winged Magpie

And a chance of Bonelli's, Golden and Spanish Eagles, Black Vulture and Black-bellied Sandgrouse

All in some splendid scenery, including the marshes of the Algarve, and the cork oak woods and rolling plains of the
Alentejo

Visitors with time to spare may wish to cross the border and visit
Northwestern Spain where additional possibilities include Wallcreeper, as well as Brown Bear and
Wolf; Extremadura where Spanish Ibex and Spanish Eagle occur; and
Southern Spain where there is a chance of seeing Iberian Lynx, the most spectacular visible migration
of storks and raptors in Europe, and numerous waterbirds in places such as the Coto Donana.

There are also six, breeding, non-native species present in Portugal: Crested Myna, Yellow-crowned Bishop, Black-headed Weaver, Common Waxbill, Red
Avadavat and Black-headed Munia.

Mammals
A chance of Bottlenose (small resident pod, Sado Estuary) and Common Dolphins.

Invertebrates
A fine selection of butterflies including Spanish Festoon and Two-tailed Pasha.

Plants
The rich spring flora includes lots of lavenders, peonies and orchids, and many species present in the far southwest of the country, around Cape
St. Vincent, are Lusitanian specialities; restricted to this corner of Portugal, and North Africa.

Ponta da Piedade A chance of seabirds such as Balearic, Cory’s, Great and Sooty Shearwaters, and European and Wilson’s Storm
Petrels, as well as Common Dolphins (all from land and on boat trips out of nearby Portimao).

Sagres Point A chance of seabirds such as Balearic, Cory’s, Great and Sooty Shearwaters, and European and Wilson’s Storm
Petrels, as well as Common Dolphins (all from land and on boat trips out of Sagres), and migrating raptors (about 4000 birds of 20 species in autumn
(mid-August to November), especially at Monte da Cabranosa, north of Sagres).

Cape St. Vincent A chance of seabirds such as Balearic, Cory’s, Great and Sooty Shearwaters, and European and Wilson’s Storm
Petrels, as well as Common Dolphins, and, on land, Blue Rock Thrush. Also a chance of Alpine Accentor (winter).

Best Times for Birds and other wildlife in Portugal

The best time for spring flowers is late March when the best time for birding begins. Great and Little Bustards usually start displaying at this
time, many spring passage migrant birds are moving through and even many summer visiting birds have arrived (a few, such as Roller, usually arrive
later in the year). Spring/summer birding remains good until mid-May, arguably peaking in mid-April. The peak autumn migration period for birds is
usually late September-early October.

Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean by M Blamey and C Grey-Wilson. A & C Black, 2004.

Mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East by S Aulagnier et al. Helm, 2009.

Mammals of Britain and Europe by D McDonald and P Barrett. Collins, 2005.

Apps etc.

Collins Bird Guide.

Where to watch birds in Europe & Russia by N Wheatley. Helm, 2000.

Don’t know which country/countries/regions to visit in Europe? Then it may be worth considering taking a look at this
book, written by this website’s author. It is many years old of course but it still provides a starting point, an overview and a guiding light to
the best birds and the best places to look for them in the region, and could save hours of searching for similar information on the internet.
However, it is important to check more up-to-date sources for sites which have been opened up, sites and species which have been discovered,
lodges that have been built etc. since the book was published.

Birding and Wildlife Trip Reports for Portugal

Many trip reports, some for Portugal, are posted on the websites listed here. On some of
these websites some reports are independent and some are posted by tour companies who organize
tours to Portugal. These tour companies and others also post their own reports on their
websites, which are listed under 'Some Organized Tours to Portugal' below.

Local bird and wildlife guides in Portugal

The costs of organized tours partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders.
Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are
the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional
skills of the local guides they employ. If you are travelling independently,
employing such local guides will greatly increase your chances of seeing the
wildlife you wish to see.

Some Organized Tours for birds and other wildlife to Portugal

There are many tour companies who organize tours to see mammals, birds, other
wildlife and other natural wonders. The cost of these tours vary considerably
according to such variables as the airlines used, the number of days the tours
last, the number of sites visited, the number of people in the group (an
important consideration if you wish to see such wildlife as rainforest mammals
and birds), the number of tour leaders, the standard of accommodation and
transport, and the percentage profit the company hopes to make. Generally, where
the number of days tours last and the number of sites visited are similar, the
cheapest tours are those that use the cheapest airlines, accommodation and local
transport, that have the largest groups with the least number of leaders, and
that make the least amount of profit. The most expensive tours tend to be those
which are exceptionally long, use the most expensive accommodation (ridiculously
lavish in some cases, even for single nights) and which make the most profit.
Some tour costs partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are
certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are
the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional
skills of the local guides they employ.

While tour companies organize tours with set itineraries many also organize custom
tours for individuals and private groups who instead of taking a tour with a set
itinerary want to follow their own itinerary to suit their own personal tastes,
whether it be mammals, birds, other wildlife, other natural wonders or even man-made
attractions, or a mixture of them all. Many organized tours with set itineraries are
also fast-paced and target as many species as possible, whether they are mammals, birds
or other wildlife or everything, which usually leaves little time to enjoy the best
sites and individual species, but on a custom tour those taking part can specify the
pace and the sites and species they wish to concentrate on. Custom tours also suit
people who like to travel with people they already know, rather than with a group of
strangers, and they are popular with people with partners with different interests.
Individuals, partners and small groups will almost certainly have to pay more for a
custom tour than an organized tour with a set itinerary but a large group of friends
may be able to travel for less than the price quoted for a set tour.

Tour companies who run organized tours to Portugal include the following.
Many of these also offer custom tours.